Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-14

But the historical interest Of the locality
has been pre-engaged, riveted, i'm fact, to one
spot five miles before Biloxi is reached,
where the brakeman in his stridulous tones
has anne lrc.d, BEAU, Dir Station" the stop
ping place for Beauvoir house, the home Of
Jefferson Davis, the chapelle expiatore of the
southern bourbon, the modern rock of Pro
metheus to the northern stalwart. There is
nothing but the station house and the pine
forest to be seen at the station There is no
population, black or white and Beauvor
house lies GOO yards through the pines facing
the gulf, ont of sight.
l had taken the precaution to ask Mr. J. u
Payne Mr.. Davis friend and business agent
in New Orleans, if he would be at home OF
that day l went out to visit Beauv IT., but
notwithstanding this l was informed, on in
quiiing the way TO the house, that not soul
was at home Mr.. Davis had left an horlr OF
two before my arrival to attend the wedding
in NV Orleans of his wife's niece had
passed him on the way. Mrs. Davis was
away on the same business, and Miss Varina.
Inc dau2 hter, was visiting friends in Chatta
nooga.
Ny informant proved to be the man who
was intiu>tea with the premises in Mr. Davis
absence, and he politely agreed to show me
the house l would be able to see Mr.. Davis
in New Orleans.
So we walked through the pines along
roadway ankle deep in white sand, around
the angle OF scuppernong vineyard of sew
seral acres, the only cultivated spot OH the es-
tate of 800 acres of sand and long leaf pine
The road leads straight Oh to the beach OF
the gulf between Beauvoir and smaller house
on the.right, owned by Mr.. Davis sister,
both houses facing the water. The approach
is from the rear, and entrance to the large
va Of BeRuvoir is through gate at the
side The yard is a broad stretch in front OF
and on either side Of the house to the beach,
densely shaded and bare of grass or other liv-
ing vegetable carpeting, the white sand of the
soil showing up between the drifted winrows
of dead leaves and decaying twigs scattered
under the stunted trees like black worms.
Live oaks are the prevailing trees, small,
to be sure, and unlike their grand brethren
of the river Alluyium, over in Louisiana,
but shapely, gray boards of moss dropping
from their branches, their round, umbrella
like tops and thick foliage presenting an i'm
penetrable shield against southern sun, their
short but clean trunks outlining pleasant
visUas through the broad stretch of yard and
out to the blue waters Of the gulf. There is
shapely little trees, as in the black jack and
scyubby denominations so familiar in the land
scape of southern "po'r lands, +" and they make
a pretty grove; but, besides the live oaks,
there are cedars, water oaks, with their
lighter green leaves, magnolias, and even
hickory, tree rarely found in such impov-
erished soil. A large number of orange trees
were killed in the severe weather of last win
ter, and some of their denuded stumpS are
still standing. As the visitor passes through
the yard he is more than apt to strike his toe
against an iucipient growth of cactus, which
seems TO be fighting for existence in the bar
rem sand.
A few meIino sheep are roaming through the
yard, keeping themselves for the most part as
near the implanted fence which separates the
grounds from the beach as possible, for, Curl
ously enough, the fresh breeze which is con-
tinually blowing from the water hardly stirs
the lower limbs of the trees in the rear of the
yard, though still perceptible at a little dis
lance above the earth. At the station house,
the other side of the pines, no breeze is felt
whatever and the heat during the summer is
intense
The house itself, placed in the rear center Of
The yard, is elevated some eight feet above
the ground on brick pillars Enclosed with lat
tice work. 1t is one story above these, broad
and fat, with slab roof, white painted weather
boards and green blinds, broad veranda,
or gallery, as they are called here, extending
the full breadth of the hoese, front and
rear, and led up to by wide flight
of wooden steps, hanked by two statu.
esQue vases, one of which has been thrown
down from its pedestal and never replaced.
a small wing extends from one corner in the
rear, its end projecting a little over the side
wall Of the main house. The exterior is of a |
type ordinary enough in this latitude, though |
smartly above the average in size. About |
thirty PAGES on either side, a little in advance |
OF the line of the main house, are two outlying /
cottages, oddly and picturesquely built but 1
conforming in style with each other and the /
mansion. and completely surrounded by |